Engine-starter.



H. E. VAN NESS.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9.1911.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

' Elmira,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY E. VAN NESS, 0F ELMIRA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORTO ECLIPSE MACHINE COMPANY, OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK, A

conronarron on NEW YonK.

ENGINE-STARTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 11918.

Application filed March 9, 1917. Serial No. 153,700.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY E. VAN Nnss, a citizen of the United States, residing .at in the county of Chemung and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Starters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that type of enginestarter exemplified in patents heretofore issued to Vincent Bendix, for instance, Patents No. 1,125,935, dated January 26, 1915,

and No. 1,172,864, dated February 22, 1916,v

which starters are characterized by a prime mover such as an electric motor, and a trans- 1111SS1OI1 or dr1ve for transmltt ng the power of the motor by means of a rotatable screw shaft and a pinion mounted thereon, to a member of the engine to be started, such as the fiy wheel thereof. This drive comprises a screw shaft operated either directly or mdirectly by the motor and a pinion screwthreaded on such shaft and having longitudinal movement thereon and rotary movement therewith.

In this type of drive or transmission there is a slight longitudinal yielding movement of the screw shaft for the purpose explained in said Patent No. 1,125,935, there being a compression space provided between the end of the shaft and a collar or spring barrel which space is indicated at 9 in said patent. The object of my invention is to provide simple and eflicient possibility of the coiled spring which forms the resilient driving connection dropping or wedging into said space.

In the drawing Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section illustrating a drive embodylng my invention; Figs. 2 and 3 crosssectionson the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 but lookwith a rotatable part of the engine to be started, such as the teeth 5* of the fly wheel 5.

The armature shaft passes axially through means for preventing any the screw shaft and has fastened to its outer end by means of a bolt 6 a collar 7 The power of the motor is transmitted tothe screw shaft by a, resilient driving connection consisting of a coiled spring 8, one end of wvhich is secured to the bolt 6 and the other end to the bolt or stud 9 screwing into an enlargement or collar portion 1 of the screw shaft. A sleeve 10 is arranged within the coils of the spring and encircles the outer plainportion of the screw shaft at a point between said collar portion 1 and the collar 7, such sleeve being mounted directly on'the motor shaft 2 in abutting relation as to one end with said collar portion 1 of the threaded sleeve and cooperating at the other end with said collar 7. This sleeve is diametrically slotted or cut back from its'outer end, thereby leaving on opposite sides two similar arc-shaped extensions 10". The slots thus formed in this sleeve receive complementary are -shaped extensions 7 of the collar 7, which at diametrically opposite sides is cut away in order to accommodate the extensions 10 of the sleeve 10. As a result the sleeve and collar are adapted to slide longitudi- 'nally upon each other in the operation-of the device, but'to always present surfaces which may be contacted by the spring coils and be thereby prevented from falhng into any open space. j

The proper position of the sleeve 10 is in-, wardly toward the collar 1 In order that the same may be retained in such osition springs 11 are interposed between suc sleeve and the collar 7. According to the construction in Fig. 1 these springs are received in longitudinal sockets 12 in the body portion of the sleeve and are therefore adapted to bear against the'extensions 7*" of the collar In the construction shown. in Fig. 4 the springs are received in sockets 13 in the extensions 10- of the sleeve and also in sockets 14 in the body portion of the collar 7. The screw shaft and pinion are capable of a yielding longitudinal movement upon the screw shaft which occurs in the event that the pinion teeth should meet the fiy wheel teeth end to end and consequently this sliding movement of the sleeve with respect to the collar is necessary. This sleeve and collar provide su port for the spring 8 in case it should be coded inwardly upon such sleeve and collar, and leaves no space into which any coil of the spring'could drop or wedge.

At'the same time the desired longitudinal yielding movement of the screw shaft is permitted without any interference.

I claim:

1. A. starter for engines comprising a rotatable member,'a driving member, a coiled spring connecting between said members and forming a resilient driving connection therefor, and members arranged within the coils of said spring, the adjacent ends of such latter members being formed with complementary and coiiperating diametrical recesses and extensions.

2. A starter for engines comprising a rotatable screw shaft, a driving shaft, a coiled spring connecting between the shafts and forming a resilient driving connection, and two members slidably engaging each other and encircling the screw shaft within the spring coils, the adjacent ends of such. members being formed with complementary diametrical recesses and extensions,

3. A starter for engines comprising a rotatable screw shaft, a driving shaft, a coiled spring connecting between the shafts and forming a resilient driving connection, and two members slidably engaging each other and eiicirclin the screw shaft within the spring coils, the adjacent ends of such members being formed with omplementary diametrical recesses and extensions and springs interposed between such ends of the members for normally holding them in extended condition.

4. A starter for engines comprising a rotatable-screw shaft, a driving shaft, a coiled spring connecting between the shafts and forming a resilient driving connection, and two members encircling the screw shaft within the spring coils, the adjacent ends of such members being formed with complementary diametrical recesses and extensions and coiled sprin s interposed between such ends of the mem ers for normally holding them in extended condition, said members having sockets to receive the ends of said coiled springs.

5. A starter for engines comprising a rotatable screw shaft, a driving shaft, a coiled :naeavov spring connecting between the shafts and forming a resilient driving connection and two members encircling the screw shaft within the spring coils, the adjacent ends of such members being formed with complementary diametrical recesses and extensions, one of said members having a air of diametrical extensions and the ot er thereof having a pair of diametrical recesses receiving such extensions.

6. A. starter for engines comprising a rotatable screw shaft, a driving shaft, a coiled spring connecting between the shafts and forming a resilient driving connection, and two members encirclin the screw shaft within the sprin coils, t e adjacent ends of such members being formed with complementary diametrical recesses and extensions, one of said members having a pair of dia metrical extensions and the other thereof having a pair of diametrical recesses receiving such extensions, and springs interposed between said two members for normally holding them in extended condition.

7. A starter for engines comprising a rotatable screw shaft, a driving shaft, a collar secured to the driving shaft and having a pair of diametrical extensions and recesses, a sleeve surrounding one end of the screw shaft and having a pair of diametrical extensions and also recesses receiving such extensions, and a coiled sprin surrounding such sleeve and collar and connected at its ends to the screw shaft and collar,

8. A starter for engines comprising a rotatable screw shaft, a driving shaft, a collar secured to the driving shaft and having a pair of diametrical extensions and recesses, a sleeve surrounding one end of the screw shaft and having a pair of diametrical extensions and also recesses receiving such extensions, -a coiled spring surrounding such sleeve and collar and connected at its ends to the screw shaft and collar, and springs interposed between the extensions of one memher and the bottom of the recesses of the other member.

HENRY VAN NESS. 

